Chapter 1995: Invitation

The first Demon Venerable of the demon race he spoke of did not show sufficient respect in his words and actions, appearing rather unsubmissive.

Of course, this was also because he was not the true body of the Blood Light Sacred Ancestor but merely an avatar. Otherwise, even with his formidable powers, the burly man would not have dared to act so arrogantly.

Blood Light lowered his head and pondered for a moment before suddenly raising it and shouting,

“Summon the ten commanders to see me!”

“Yes, my lord!” someone outside the door immediately responded respectfully, and a guard swiftly went to relay the order.

Only then did Blood Light leisurely return to his seat and begin to carefully consider certain matters.

At the same time, in Tianyuan City, the enormous phantom shadow finally absorbed enough spiritual energy. Its radiance dimmed as it retracted its Dharma Form, transforming into a faint green sphere of light that flashed into the stone tower and disappeared without a trace.

A blinding light flickered, and the sphere vanished mysteriously.

Meanwhile, deep within the tower’s base, Han Li exhaled a long breath, slowly opened his eyes, and revealed an expression of extreme joy.

“This is the late-stage Body Integration realm. The sensation is indeed entirely different from the early and middle stages. If I can cultivate this realm to perfection, it would be equivalent to having one foot already on the threshold of the Mahayana realm. The path to immortality is finally faintly visible.” Han Li murmured to himself, sensing the explosive increase in his spiritual power and divine sense.

This successful breakthrough to the late stage had increased his spiritual power and divine sense by more than half, and this was not yet the limit—both could still grow further with continued cultivation.

The only slight regret was that his physical body had not undergone significant improvement.

It seemed the rumor that only upon advancing to the Mahayana realm could a cultivator’s body be reforged was likely true. As for the effects of this reforging, they would naturally depend on the cultivation techniques and the individual’s innate potential.

Han Li quickly dismissed this fleeting regret, closed his eyes again, and began stabilizing his current realm while recovering the vast amount of vitality he had expended during the tribulation.

During the tribulation, he had already expended considerable spiritual power and divine sense in resisting inner demons, forcing him to rely on numerous treasures to withstand the heavenly punishment in the later stages.

Even so, the ferocity of the late-stage tribulation far exceeded his expectations.

He had no choice but to self-detonate over a dozen top-tier magic treasures he had previously acquired, and even the seventy-two Emerald Swarm Swords suffered some damage under the relentless onslaught.

Had it not been for the two Extreme Mountains, which possessed remarkable resistance to heavenly thunder and unexpectedly displayed immense power in the final moments to block the last waves of lightning, he might have survived the tribulation but would certainly have been severely injured—unlike now, where he remained unscathed.

However, it was precisely after enduring this late-stage tribulation that Han Li’s confidence in the Five Extreme Mountains soared. He resolved to spare no effort in forging the remaining three mountains.

Given the nearly unstoppable might of the late-stage Body Integration tribulation, the Mahayana and ascension tribulations would only be unimaginably more terrifying. Without the Five Extreme Mountains, he had no confidence whatsoever.

Moreover, to withstand the great tribulations that descended periodically, such a treasure was indispensable.

Han Li’s final thoughts lingered briefly in his mind before a warm surge of spiritual power from his dantian circulated throughout his body. Relaxing completely, he immersed himself deeply in cultivation.

Han Li’s meditation lasted a full ten days.

Half a month later, a long howl echoed from the depths of the tower’s secret chamber, accompanied by a gust of wind and swirling clouds. The chamber’s door burst open with a “bang,” and a flash of green light revealed Han Li standing calmly at the entrance, his gaze sweeping left and right.

“Greetings, Master!”

“Congratulations, Brother Han, on your great achievement!”

Qi Lingzi, Hai Dasha, and Bing Feng, who had been waiting nearby, rushed to the door at the sound of the howl. Overjoyed, they stepped forward to bow and offer their congratulations.

“Haha, if not for Fairy’s assistance, whether I could have succeeded in this breakthrough would have been uncertain. Fellow Daoist Feng, let us continue our conversation in the hall. You two have also worked hard during this time—come along as well.” Han Li smiled at each of them in turn.

Bing Feng and the others naturally had no objections and followed Han Li to the top floor of the stone tower.

A short while later, Han Li and Bing Feng were seated in chairs in the top-floor hall.

Qi Lingzi and Hai Dasha, as juniors, stood respectfully to the side, listening to their conversation.

Han Li’s breakthrough to the late-stage Body Integration realm had excited them almost more than it had him.

With such a master, who in the human and demon races would dare to provoke them from now on? Even cultivators several realms above them would likely treat them with courtesy.

“Brother Han, I have always believed that with my Heavenly Phoenix bloodline, my aptitude and talent are second to none. Back in the human world, I reached a high realm in a short time. But compared to your current realm, I am truly at a loss for words. When we joined forces to ascend to the Spirit Realm through the spatial node, you probably never imagined achieving such heights. With your advancement to late-stage Body Integration and your original formidable abilities, aside from the two Mahayana existences in the human and demon races, no one can pose a threat to you. You could even roam freely across most of the Spirit Realm—truly enviable!” Bing Feng spoke slowly, not hiding the trace of envy on her face.

“My cultivation to this realm was largely due to luck. Fellow Daoist Feng, with your astonishing true spirit bloodline and no less impressive talent, reaching my current realm is only a matter of time with a bit more effort. There is nothing to envy.” Han Li shook his head, his expression calm.

“I hope so. Recently, I’ve felt my spiritual power nearing a state of completion, so a breakthrough to the next realm shouldn’t be far off.” Bing Feng nodded and suddenly added.

“Then I must congratulate you as well.” Han Li paused briefly before smiling.

Bing Feng returned the smile but said nothing more.

“Qi Lingzi, has anything happened during my seclusion?” Han Li turned to ask.

“Reporting to Master, there have been frequent troop movements in the city recently, and rumors abound that the demon army is preparing to attack imminently. Also, after you survived the tribulation, many sects and factions in the city sent congratulatory messages and valuable gifts. I carefully recorded all the gifts and stored them in the treasury, awaiting your inspection. Additionally, the elders of the Council also sent their congratulations. Senior Jin even extended an invitation in advance, requesting that you visit the Council as soon as you emerged from seclusion for an extremely important discussion.” Qi Lingzi stepped forward and replied respectfully.

“Leave the gifts for now—I’ll look at them when I have time. As for the Council… heh, it’s likely related to the demon army. It seems I must go. There’s no time to delay—I’ll head there now.” After a brief consideration, Han Li stood up unhurriedly.

“Then this disciple bids you farewell, Master!”

“Brother Han, go and return soon!”

Qi Lingzi and Bing Feng were slightly surprised by Han Li’s haste but naturally did not dare to hinder him.

Han Li gave a slight nod before a green glow enveloped him. Transforming into a green streak, he circled once in place before shooting out of the hall.

When Han Li arrived before the Council’s grand hall, Golden Zen Master and the silver-haired old man seemed to have been waiting for him. Upon hearing of his arrival, they immediately came out to greet him and ushered him inside.

As soon as the three were seated, the silver-haired old man repeatedly congratulated Han Li and couldn’t resist probing his current cultivation level with his divine sense.

The result startled him.

Han Li’s current cultivation was as unfathomable as the ocean—the old man’s divine sense couldn’t even discern his exact realm.

How was this possible? He was also a mid-stage Body Integration cultivator. While his spiritual power couldn’t compare to a late-stage cultivator’s, he should at least be able to gauge the other’s realm.

This situation could only mean one of two things:

Either Han Li possessed a miraculous secret technique or treasure that concealed his cultivation, or his spiritual power far exceeded that of an ordinary late-stage Body Integration cultivator, making it impossible to sense clearly due to the vast disparity.

The silver-haired old man’s expression remained unchanged, but after a moment’s thought, he quickly dismissed the first possibility.

If Han Li had such concealment abilities, he would have used them at the mid-stage Body Integration realm. Now that his breakthrough to late-stage was common knowledge, there was no need for such measures. That left the latter possibility…

The silver-haired old man couldn’t help but inhale sharply.

His tone when speaking to Han Li unconsciously grew even more deferential.

Though Golden Zen Master appeared calm, his shock was no less than the old man’s. Despite previously overestimating Han Li’s strength, he now realized he had still underestimated him.

“I have received the congratulatory gifts from both of you. Thank you. However, since you summoned me so urgently, there must be an important matter at hand. Could you enlighten me?” After exchanging a few pleasantries, Han Li cut straight to the point.

“Since Brother Han is so direct, I shall speak plainly. Your unexpected breakthrough to late-stage Body Integration must have significantly enhanced your strength, making you the foremost cultivator in this city. May I ask, if you were to face the Sacred Ancestor’s avatar outside the city, what would be your odds of victory?” The silver-haired old man exchanged a glance with Golden Zen Master before asking solemnly.

“The Sacred Ancestor’s avatar? That’s hard to say. The cultivation and techniques of demon race Sacred Ancestors vary greatly, and their avatars’ abilities differ accordingly. I know nothing about this particular avatar outside the city, so I can’t make a judgment. However, if it’s similar to the avatars I’ve encountered before, I believe I could handle it.” Han Li narrowed his eyes and replied expressionlessly after a long pause.